Marlot Kuiper

42 Connective Routines 2.1 Introduction The implementation of standards in professional work settings is a popular research topic that has been studied from the perspective of different disciplines. Scholars in the field of for example Public Administration, Organisation Science, Sociology, Science and Technology Studies, and Health Care Management all turned their attention to the question how new standards (can) work out in practice. Each of these disciplines however, has its own perspective, terminology and approach. In the field of health care for example, ‘implementation’ is a popular term – though with different denotations - and scholars often adopt a rather technical view to study implementation, while sociologists emphasize the constructed social nature of professional work and mostly talk about ‘working with’ standards as a complex matter. In this chapter, I will critically review different theoretical contributions to draw inspiration from different disciplines and research strands. This chapter is structured along three theoretical questions. These questions are: “What are professionals and professional work, and what transitions can be identified? “What are standards and medical checklists, and what is their purpose and (intentional) professional usage?” and “How can we conceptualize linkages between professionals and standards?” First, I will set the contours of this study by discussing the specific nature of professional work. I will describe developments in professional work and theorizing ‘professionalism’, drawing from the Sociology of Professions literature. After that, a discussion of standards and standardization will follow, drawing from the fields of science and technology studies and sociology. By combining these insights, I will shed light on the dynamics between standardization and professional work and argue how we can understand standardization as organised professional response to new service realities. 2.2 Professionals and professional work “First do no harm” The popular saying “first do no harm” derives from the Latin phrase “primum non nocere.” It is commonly believed to be taken from the Hippocratic Oath.